12/28/13

Feliz Ano Nuevo!!

Hola hola hola!!

Man it was super sweet to be able to talk to you guys on Christmas.  For sure the best present of all time!! I hope that the conversation was meaningful and made sense ha.  I realized after that we didn't get to talk about a lot, and immediately after a million things jumped into my head that I had wished I said, but oh well we will have that opportunity in almost 17 months now!! Man the time flys.

This week besides The Call was a bit of a bummer.  Our long lived investigator and friend Sergio finally hit his end.  He just wouldn't keep up the stuff that we were asking him to do.  He stopped reading the Book of Mormon, and he quit coming to church.  It was super hard to part ways with him, but hopefully we will be able to return back one day and he will be ready to go at it 100%

I'm struggling with what to write, because I feel like I told you a lot on wednesday, and because it feels a little bit like what I say every week, but I'll give it a shot ha.  We were able to find a couple new investigators this week that I feel pretty good about.  Two are William and Gabriela.  We found them by knocking doors looking for a reference.  They let us come into their house and we started talking and teaching a little.  It turns out that they had listended to the "mormons" before ha.  Of course the only thing that stuck in their head was that we don't drink coffee. But they were excited about the message we gave them and really wanted to received the blessings of the gospel.  They have two little kids and aren't married, so they have a lot that they are worried about in their lives.  Good thing that we have just the cure for them...the gospel!  William said that he can come to church this sunday and that he will bring the two kids with him.  Gabriela said that she has to work and won't be able to come.  We told her that if she wanted to receive the blessings she would have to put in the work.  That it wouldn't be easy, but that to put her faith in God would bless her beyond her beliefs.  It really made her think and I think that by next week she will be with us at church! 

Thank you again for all the love and support you all have shown me especially during the holiday season! I love all of you guys so much!

Love,

Elder Jacobsen

12/18/13

Commandments

Hola hola hola!!

Hope that you all are enjoying this Christmas season as much as I am! It is awesome to share the story of Christs love with everyone, especially in this time of year.  Mom thanks for taking care of Elder Ortega and I with the packages.  He liked his advent calender so much he ate it all in one night.  He told me the whole day by day thing just wasn't any fun ha..but thats just Ortega.  It has been a little bitter sweet this time of year because I have so many great memories of Christmases at home, but I do my best to focus on the work!

So I don't really know what is happening with Sergio.  He has been so close so many times to finally recognizing the truth, but there is something holding him back.  He is still on date for this sunday, but to me it does not look that good.  He didn't come to church last week, and he hasn't been reading.  How can he know if it is true if he doesn't read?? We are still praying and doing everything we can to help him, but it is his choice right?

Well I titled this email Commandments ha, and I'm just trying to get my thoughts out on paper.  Our ward us really struggling right now.  Our bishop is less active and comes once every three weeks.  Our second counselor just moved, we don't have an elders quorum president or a mission leader, and the members don't keep the commandments! I don't know why, but they don't keep the commandments.  This week we were going to eat with family after church.  We got in their car and they said that they were going to take us to a restaurant because they forgot to cook.  Everyone seemed to be on board except for me.  I told them that we weren't going to do that on Sunday. After arguing for a little with them and my comp they just bought some street food and took it to their house.  When we got to the house My comp and them started complaining how there wasn't a lot of food, and it was the Utah Gringo's fault because he wouldn't let them go to a restaurant.  I proudly said that yes I am from Utah, and my parents raised me to keep the commandments.  I am so thankful for those simple lessons growing up.  Keep the commandments, in this there is safety, in this there is peace.  I can't really put how I feel in this email.. It won't work.  It really just hurts to see so many people struggle because their hearts are so hard.  I know that I need to do better, and that there is many ways I can improve, but I am trying so hard and nothing seems to budge.  But missionaries have had it worse than me and had better results.  So what else can we do but keep the faith and work harder?

This probably the last letter till after Christmas, so a Feliz Navidad a todos!  I hope that its a good one, a really really good one.  And I'll see you on skype christmas day :)

Elder Jacobsen

12/13/13

at church with sergio

Testimony

Hola hola hola!!

Wow finally a normal Friday pday ha! Well mom I am officially back on top as the most loved missionary in the mission haha, thank you for all the packages :)  What else....oh I have already been gone six whole months! Crazy huh! The time really just zips past, It is amazing how close the start is to the finish haha.  I like monthly milestones like this though, because it gives you a good chance to fix certain things, look back on how you have done, and do everything possible to get better.  With time moving so fast there is no time to waste.  The Lord is hastening his work and we need to get on board.

Wellll.....We had to move Sergio's baptism to the 22nd of December.  We did a practice interview with him, and he didn't pass.  We got to the question about joseph smith and the restored church.  He froze up a little bit and said that he couldn't tell us that he believed it yet.  We started asking him questions and finding out where his real doubt was.  As he started telling us how he felt it all just started making sense to me.  He told us how he has been reading the book of mormon and that he has been comparing it with the bible and how they work together and he knows it.  He told us that he has nothing against joseph smith and that he love going to church.  We were like, "sergio, what is missing then" He told us that he wants to be able to testify of the truth like we do, that he goes to church and hears the members testify of the book of mormon and joseph smith with 100% surety of their hearts.  He said that he knows that when the members testify it is true, he can feel it when they testify.  When he said that I got a little excited.  He is looking for the right thing!! He doesn't just want to hang out at church, or just go to activites, he wants to know so that he can testify of the truth.  I felt the spirit so strong as he was telling us this that I could do nothing but continue to testify ha.  We promised him that this testimony he is looking for is growing.  That if he keeps reading and praying there will be know way that he can deny it.  Ah I am so excited for him to testify in 2 weeks, he will be a great missionary!

twelve days of christmas with elder ortega

This lesson with sergio made me think back on my own testimony a little bit, made me think of the Book of Mormon.  Man do I love the book of mormon.  Reading it is like reading a new book everytime, but at the same time it is so familiar.  I want nothing but to share it with everyone.  There are some missionaris (my comp) That think you have to wait to introduce it to people.  That isn't so.  There isn't a better way to help some one feel the spirit than to read the book of mormon with them and testify. The book of mormon is the cure for so many of our problems.  Both with our investigators and with the ward members.  If every family would read the book of mormon everyday we would have a city of enoch ha.  It is neglected so much here, both by missionaries and by members.  But that is nothing that a good testimony can't change, which is what I am working on now :) READ THE BOOK OF MORMON!

Elder Jacobsen

yard work in Mexico

12/7/13

We're making progress!

I finally got packages :)

Hola hola hola!!!

Mis querido amigos another week is down here in Monterrey...the time is just flying by...well most of the time haha! I finally received your packages mom, it is nice to feel loved again ;) The christmas music is much appreciated, but the pictures are definitely my favorite part!

Our fast and testimony meeting on suday in Independencia was awesome! All of the members stood up and bore their testimonies of their conversion and how much they loved the church.  They also talked about how they are feeling the urge to share the gospel with others now.  They all said that it is their job here on earth to share the gospel with others.  It was so aweosme because that is exactly what we have been praying for! I have been praying so hard that the members would have this change of heart and start to help us.  And it is starting to happen! This week we made a calender and had everyone sign up for a date when they could come and work with us.  We have about a half of it filled up already! And each time we go with someone we are asking them to take us to meet their friends.  So far it has worked really well!  

we have fun in the office haha

One of the people we met is Sandra.  And we had a really awesome lesson with her! We got to her house and talked a little bit, then We started to teach the Plan of Salvation.  But the whole time I felt like we needed to change the lesson.  So all of the sudden we switched and just started teaching her about baptism and repentence.  It was definitely the right choice, because she just loved it.  She was asking questions like, "well what will happen to me if I don't repent of my sins?" Ahh it was just super cool!  We invited her to be baptized on the 29th and she accepted. The spirit was so strong in the lesson I had chills!  I am really excited to keep teaching her and watch her progress! 

Sergio is still plugging along. We had to move his date back again. I'm scared that this is going to be our last week with him.  He just won't come to church! So keep him in your  prayers, he needs it! 

Love and miss all you guys, Hope that all is well in Zion haha

Elder Jacobsen

our sweet calendar

11/30/13

some great scriptures in the street

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hola hola hola!!!

Well I know that it is a little late, but happy thanksgiving to everyone!!  From the pictures it looks like it was full of turkey, family, and football..how awesome!! We actually got to eat thanksgiving with President and Sister Swapp, one of the perks of being an office elder haha! We had turkey, stuffing, the whole nine yards.  I even brought a football from the offices and threw it around for a couple minutes just to warm my heart.  But obviously the family was missing. I miss you guys, but in a good way!

Elder Ortega's birthday

We had another super busy week this week.  Monday and Tuesday were changes, so we spent both days in the offices taking care of all the new missionaries.  They arrive on monday and we teach them all they need to know about the mission.  I have my own special part that I get to give about the finances, and I have to say that I do it pretty well ha.  Then all the elders stay in our house that night.  We have a big room with a bunch of bunk beds that all the news stay in.  I told all of them before that they were going to freeze at night because we basically live in a cave ha.  They all told me that they came from utah so it would be nothing.  But...they froze ha...they tried to plug in like 6 different heaters and it blew the circuit, so we have been without power all week....it's super cold at night without electricity ha! 

we got to decorate the tree

But then wednesday and thursday I got audited ha.   And I'm pretty sure that the LDS church is like 50x´s worse than the IRS.  Two guys came here from Mexico on wednesday and were in my office with me for 3 hours.  They went over the finances for the whole year! And then I had to have an online meeting with someone else from Mexico on Thursday for another three hours.  It was rough ha, but we got everything sorted out! 

Last night we had Elder Johnson the area president come and give a fireside....well more he just ripped apart all the members here ha.  All the leaders of all the wards in the mission as well as all the missionaries were there.  He said that the work of the lord is progressing, and that the members and the missionaries need to work together.  He said that of the 20,000 members in the mission 16,000 are menos activo! 80%  He actually said the words, "I call you to repentance" to all the wards that hadn't been having ward council or helping the missionaries.  He said that if they weren't doing those things they were being confounded by the devil! It was a super strong message and one that I hope changes things.  There is a whole lot of work to get done here, it is going to take everyone!

Thats all I got! Hope you all are doing great!!

Elder Jacobsen

11/23/13

Angelito and I

It's Cold.

Hola Hola Hola!!!

Ortega, Jurado, Thelma and Gabi at Gabi's farewell

I can't feel my hands or feet right now, and the sad part is that it is only 50 degrees haha.  I know that that is nothing, but we are all freezing. I guess that I have adapted pretty well haha.  The weather here is a lot like utah, one day it is like 80 degrees, and then the next is like 50.  And it has been cloudy for the past month and a half, it's kind of depressing not seeing the sun a whole lot, but what can you do.  There is still a lot of office work for me to do, especially because it is the end of the month and I have to balance out all the accounts. And that kind of frustrates our work in the area a little bit, but we work our hardest! 

We had to drop Cesar this week, he just straight up told us that he didn't want to progress anymore.  We were bummed out, but we still have Sergio on date for the 8th and he is doing great!  I don't really know what I want to write about this week ha, I guess I will just tell you about my interview with president this week.  It was an amazing experience for me.

Elder Vera and I

Interviews were this week on wednesday, and being the office elders we were saved for last.  When it was finally my turn president called me in and we talked a little.  It's weird because we see president more than any of the other missionaries, but an interview setting is just different, you're always just a little bit on edge.  So we started with a prayer and then he asked me, "well Elder Jacobsen, what do you want to talk about?" I sat their for a second thinking and then just started bawling. I don't know what came over me, I mean most of you can count the number of times you have seen me get emotional on one hand, but I just completely lost it.  President just sat there kind of smiling and waiting for me to say something.  I finally got it out how there are so many people that I talk to everyday, so  many that I pass that don't have the gospel or know that they have a heavenly father that loves them and a savior as well.  So many people that i have taught in these 5 months that have felt the spirit but decided not to follow it.  I can't really explain the sorrow I felt during this moment, but it was tearing me apart.  Then president got tears too ha.  He told me that if I could be that sincere with every person they would feel something different, and see something different in my eyes.  So I took his advice and have started sharing the sincere feelings that the spirit puts in my heart with everyone.  Since then it has been hard for me not to get emotional with everyone we talk to.  I have been able to feel some of the love that God has for them.  He is our father and loves everyone of us.  He knows what is best for us and tries his hardest to lead us to that path. And as much sorrow as felt in that moment with president I have felt 100x´s more joy and love as people listen to us.  We even had one person tell us that they could tell what we was saying was true, because they could see it in our eyes! I can't describe the feelings I have for the children of our God, but they continue to grow everyday out here.

Well that is it for this week.  Oh and mom they said the 303 address is better for packages...I look forward to receiving these ones! :)

Elder Jacobsen

11/16/13

Shaw, Ortega and I with the sister in Sierra Madre

Hello again trio!!

Hola hola hola!!

Well where to start.......this has basically been the longest, strangest, and most stressful week of my entire life.  Now I know that this is going to sound unbelievable, but it is all true.  This week one of the office missionaries the one that is in charge of all the visas and travel for the mission ran away.  But he didn't just ran away, he pretended to be kidnapped by a drug cartel.  He sent fake texts messages and made fake phone calls pretending to be held for ransom.  We had to spend two nights in Presidents house because of the threats that he was making.  But president and the church quickly got to the bottom of it, and the kid was found and sent home with out any more problems ha.  The only problem that he left us with other than two fear filled days is his job here in the offices and a missionary with out a companion.  So I'm back in a trio with Elder Shaw and Elder Ortega now.  And the job of exucuative secratary has fallen on mine and Shaw's shoulders.  We have been working 6-11:30 to get caught up on all the visa work.  We have spent three hours everyday this week in the mexican immigration office ha.  And we have also had two different areas to work in.  We have had to switch off everyother day what area we will be in, and we have had hardly any time to actually be in the area.  So yes I am extremely EXHAUSTED.  But no matter what satan wants to do to hault our saviors work, we will overcome.  The Lord's work moves on and always will.

In the getaway car to presidents house ha

With the little bit of time we had in the area this week we were still able to have some really great lessons.  A new investigator that we found is Cesar.  He was a referal from a family in independencia.  Our first lesson with him he told us he was athiest.  That he didn't believe in god, but that he wanted to learn more.  We gave him a really powerful lesson about gods love for us using conference addresses and videos, and we even got him to pray at the end.  Then later that week he called us and said that he believed in god, that he had received an answer to that question! We were so excited to get to the next lesson with him.  When we got there he had his laptop out on the table and the website he had opened was "Grandes errores de los mormones" I said right then that if he was just there to fight with us we were going to leave.  But he said that he had sincere desires to learn, so we proceeded with the lesson.  He had a couple simple questions abou the bible that lead perfectly into the apostasy and restoration.  We were able to teach him all about it and committed him to baptism! He is on date for the 8th with Sergio now! So the Lord has blessed us so much this week even though our time has been taken up a lot. 

I know that this email will probably bring up more questions than answers ha, but that is all that I have time to say.  But don't worry I will love to tell everyone in two years ha :) Oh and Grandma Berrett and Grammy and Gramps, thanks for the letters and packages! I have the tie on right now!

Elder Jacobsen

And staying the night in presidents guest room!